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4) Subjective and Objective tests
Zahra Fayaz Subjective and Objective tests: S'bjective test ' A subjective test is evaluated by giving an opinion. It can be compared with an objective test, which has right or wrong answers and so can be marked objectively. Subjective tests are more challenging and expensive to prepare, administer and evaluate correctly, but they can be more valid. Subjective tests are usually favored to objective tests. Subjective tests require one to respond to topics in essay form. This is a subjective way of testing because one's opinions matters .One's knowledge of the topic overall is tested. Some may argue that this is a harder test because answers can not be known in advance. It require students to write and present an original answer. Include short-answer essay, extended-response essay, problem solving, and performance tasks. Example Tests of writing ability are often subjective because they require an examiner to give an opinion on the level of the writing. ' ' In the classroom ' Learners preparing for a subjective writing test, for example a letter of complaint, need to think about their target audience, since they are being asked to produce a whole text. Teachers can help them by emphasizing the importance of analyzing the question and identifying the key points of content, register, and format. Subjective tests include essay, short-answer, vocabulary, and take-home tests. Some students become very anxious of these exams because they feel their writing skills are not up to par. The strategies described below may reduce some of that anxiety by better preparing students for subjective questions. '''Predict Questions ' Students who attempt to predict essay questions before the test tend to do better because they have already prepared the material and organized it in an effective manner. They are less likely to be caught off-guard during the exam. Each practice question should stress the main ideas related to one topic, and should provide the opportunity to include supporting facts and details. Make questions broad enough to encompass many alternatives. The following sources may be used to make up practice questions: lecture notes, old tests, section headings in the textbook, goals and objectives listed on the syllabus, study group members, review questions in the textbook, and review questions in student workbooks accompanying the text. If you don't see your predicted questions on the test, don't despair. Chances are the material you did prepare can be reworked and reorganized to answer the test questions. Remember that predicting questions is a skill that comes with practice; you will get better as you learn more about the instructor and about testing in general. 'Organize Ideas ' Simply answering your predicted questions is not enough. The ideas must be organized into a coherent structure. Doing this during test preparation helps register the information in memory and aids in recalling the information during the test. It also saves that time spent organizing ideas during the exam. The organizational method chosen depends on the nature of the information and one's personal learning preferences. Try outlines or visual aids, for example. The answers need not, and perhaps should not, be written out in complete sentences. Instead, use key words and key phrases to reduce the amount of information to be remembered. Each part of the organizational structure should cover one main idea; these will make up the individual paragraphs in your answer on the exam. Arrange ideas numerically, topically, or sequentially. Think of transitions among major ideas. Be sure to include all major ideas stressed in lectures and readings. Study guides for subjective tests are most effective when written in topical form. 'Periodic Reviews of Answers ' Periodically review the answers recorded for the practice questions. Speaking aloud while reading over answers helps keep your attention and store the information in memory. Record answers on audio cassettes and listen to them periodically. 'Memory Techniques ' Memory strategies stressing the relationships among major ideas are preferred for subjective test preparation. Try rehearsal, association, and retention strategies. 'Study Groups ' Study groups may be used to predict and answer questions, to organize information, to complete readings, to share notes, to evaluate understanding of the information, and to share memory strategies. 'Spelling ' If you anticipate problems with spelling, ask the instructor if a spelling aid may be used during the test. Such arrangements should be made prior to exam day. If a spelling aid is not permitted, list the major terms and practice spelling them. 'Writing Skills ' If you are deficit in writing skills, the instructor may permit the use of a scribe for the test or may permit you to compose his/her answers on a computer or word processor. Again, make such arrangements prior to exam day. Otherwise, practice organizing and writing answers to practice questions. 'Prepare Physically and Mentally ' Subjective questions require clear thinking more so than objective tests. Part of your preparation, therefore, should include adequate sleep, good nutrition, and exercise. Avoid excessive amounts of caffeine, all-nighters, and stressful situations. Exercise to release anxieties or use relaxation techniques. 'Objective Tests ' Objective tests include multiple choice, true-false, matching, and fill-in questions. They tend to focus more on specific facts than on general ideas and concepts. Require students to select the correct response from several alternatives or supply a word or short phrase to answer a question. Include multiple-choice, true/false, matching, and completion items. An objective test is a psychological test that measures an individual's characteristics in a way that is independent of rater bias or the examiner's own beliefs, usually by the administration of a bank of questions that are marked and compared against exacting scoring mechanisms that are completely standardized, much in the same way that examinations are administered. Objective tests are often contrasted with projective tests, which are sensitive to rater or examiner beliefs. Projective tests are based on Freudian Psychology (Psychoanalysis), and seek to expose the unconscious perceptions of people. Objective tests tend to have more validity than projective tests, however they are still subject to the willingness of the subject to be open about his/her personality and as such can sometimes be badly representative of the true personality of the subject. Projective tests purportedly expose certain aspects of the personality of individuals that are impossible to measure by means of an objective test, and are much more reliable at uncovering "protected" or unconscious personality traits or features. 'Predict Questions ' Students who attempt to predict objective questions before the test tend to do better because they have already prepared the material and organized it in an effective manner. They are less likely to be caught off-guard during the exam. Subjective practice questions should emphasize specific details and relationships among them. The following sources may be used to make up practice questions: lecture notes, old tests, visual aid captions in the book, study group members, review questions in the textbook, and review questions in student workbooks accompanying the text. If you don't see your predicted questions on the test, don't lose control. Chances are the material you did prepare will provide clues for eliminating implausible answers and selecting the correct answers. Remember that predicting questions is a skill that comes with practice; you will get better as you learn more about the instructor and about testing in general. 'Organize Information ' Organizing information when preparing for objective tests helps register the information in memory, aids in recalling the information during the test, and helps students distinguish correct and incorrect choices in objective questions. The organizational method chosen depends on the nature of the information and one's personal learning preferences. Matrices, flash cards, and visual aids are good choices for objective tests. Study guides are most effective when written in categorical form. Focus on people, dates, events, lists, and key words of definitions. 'Periodic Review of Answers ' Periodically review the practice questions and answers. Speaking aloud while reviewing helps to keep your attention and store the information in memory. Record questions and answers on audio cassettes and listen to them periodically. 'Memory Techniques ' Memory strategies stressing lists, definitions, and details are preferred for subjective test preparation. Try visual association, visual elaboration, peg words, grouping, rhymes, and mnemonics. 'Study Groups ' Study groups may be used to predict and answer questions, to organize information, to complete readings, to share notes, to evaluate understanding of the information, and to share memory strategies. 'Prepare Mentally and Physically ' Objective tests require that one keep straight various pieces of specific information like facts and figures. Part of your preparation, therefore, should include adequate sleep, good nutrition, and exercise. Avoid excessive amounts of caffeine, all-nighters, and stressful situations. Exercise to release anxieties or use relaxation techniques. There are four types of objective tests: '''1) 'True – false items: ' Good directions , Use relatively short statements , Eliminate extraneous material , Keep all true and false statement to approximately the same length, and be sure that here are approximately equal numbers of true and false item. 2) 'Matching items : ' ' ' Keep both the list of descriptions and the list of options fairly short and homogeneous , Title the lists to ensure homogeneity , Arrange the descriptions and options in some logical order , Make sure that all the options are plausible distracters for each description to ensure homogeneity of lists, The list of descriptions should contain the longer phrases or statements, while the options should consist of short phrases, words, or symbols , Each description in the list should be numbered ,Include more options than descriptions , In the directions specify the basis for matching and whether options can be used more than once .It is a good idea to introduce some sort of order – chronological, numerical, oralphabetical – to your list of options 3) 'Multiple – choice items : ' The stem of the item should clearly formulate a problem , Include only the material needed to make the problem clear and specific , Be sure that there is one and only one correct or clearly best answer , Be sure wrong answer choices (distracters) are plausible , Eliminate unintentional grammatical clues , Keep the length and form of all the answer choices equal , Rotate the position of the correct answer from item to item randomly , Sort options in ascending order 4) 'Completion items: ' Items should require a single-word answer, or a brief and definite statement , Avoid statements that are so indefinite that they may be logically answered by several terms , Be sure the question or statement poses a problem to the examinee , Be sure the answer the answer that the student is required to produce is factually correct , Be sure the language used in the question is precise and accurate in relation to the subject matter area being tested , Omit only key words ,Don't eliminate so many elements that the sense of the content is impaired, Word the statement so that the blank is near the end of the sentence rather than near the beginning. This will prevent awkward sentences. If the problem requires a numerical answer, indicate the units in which it is to be expressed